| Hydra 70 | |
| Origin: | United States |
| Type: | Rocket |
| Is Ranged: | yes |
| Is Explosive: | yes |
| Is Missile: | yes |
| Used By: | See Users |
| Unit Cost: | $2,799[1] |
| Weight: | 13.6abbr=onNaNabbr=on (Mk 66 Mod 4 rocket motor only) about 25 lb for the rocket depending on the warhead[2] |
| Length: | 41.7inches |
| Diameter: | 2.75inches |
| Velocity: | 2300ft/s |
| Speed: | 2425ft/s |
| Guidance: | unguided |
| Launch Platform: | OH-58 Kiowa, UH-60 Black Hawk, MH-6 Little Bird, UH-1 Irquois UH-1N Twin Huey UH-1Y Venom AH-1 Cobra, AH-1W SuperCobra, AH-1Z Viper, AH-64 Apache, Eurocopter Tiger, T-129 ATAK, OV-10 Bronco, A-10 Thunderbolt II, AV-8B Harrier II, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F/A-18 Hornet, P-3 Orion, Mi-24. |
The Hydra 70 rocket is an American made 2.75abbr=outNaNabbr=out diameter fin-stabilized unguided rocket used primarily in the air-to-ground role. It can be equipped with a variety of warheads, and in more recent versions, guidance systems for point attacks. The Hydra is widely used by US and allied forces, competing with the Canadian CRV7, with which it is physically interchangeable.
The Hydra 70 is derived from the 2.75abbr=outNaNabbr=out diameter Mk 4/Mk 40 Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket developed by the United States Navy for use as a free-flight aerial rocket in the late 1940s. The Mk 40 was used during the Korean and Vietnam wars to provide close air support to ground forces from about 20 different firing platforms, both fixed-wing and armed helicopters.
The main change made to produce the Hydra was the Mk. 66 motor which uses a new propellant that offers considerably more thrust, (Mod 2/3) (Mod 4). The fins of the Mk 40 flipped forward from the rear when the rocket left the launching tube, but in the Hydra they are curved to match the outside diameter of the rocket fuselage and flip sideways to open, which is referred to as WAFAR (Wrap-Around Fin Aerial Rocket) instead of FFAR (folding-fin aerial rocket). To improve stability during the time the fins are still opening, the four motor nozzles have a slight cant angle to impart a spin while the rocket is still in the launch tube.
Today, the OH-58D(R) Kiowa Warrior and AH-64E Apache Longbow, as well as the Marine Corps' versatile UH-1 Huey and AH-1 Cobra, carry the Hydra rocket launcher standard on its weapon pylons.[3]
| Designation | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mk 66 Mod 0 | 70 mm (2.75 in) WAFAR universal motor; common motor for the GD Hydra 70 series of rockets; original prototype; for US Army | ||
| wiki is 50% correct | Mk 66 Mod 1 | Mk 66 variant; production variant; for US Army | |
| Mk 66 Mod 2 | Mk 66 Mod 1 variant; HERO (Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance) safe; for US Navy and US Air Force | ||
| Mk 66 Mod 3 | Mk 66 Mod 1 variant; HERO safe; Mk 66 Mod 2 for US Army | ||
| Mk 66 Mod 4 | Mk 66 Mod 2/3 variant; incorporates a Salt rod to reduce exhaust gases; for all services | ||
| Mk 66 Mod 5 | Mk 66 Mod 4 variant; Incorporates propellant venting during fast cook off | ||
| Mk 66 Mod 6 | Mk 66 Mod 4/5 variant; designed to reduce the tendency of secondary launch gases to combust in the parent aircraft’s engine, primarily with the AH-64 helicopter |
The family of Hydra 70 (70 mm) 2.75 inch rockets perform a variety of functions. The war reserve unitary and cargo warheads are used for anti-materiel, anti-personnel, and suppression missions. The Hydra 70 family of folding-fin aerial rockets also includes smoke screening, illumination, and training warheads. Hydra 70 rockets are known mainly by either their warhead type or by the rocket motor designation, Mk 66 in US military service.
In the U.S. Army, Hydra 70 rockets are fired from the AH-64 Apache and AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter variants using M261 19-tube rocket launchers, and the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior using seven-tube M260 rocket launchers. In the U.S. Marine Corps, either the M260 or M261 launchers are employed on the AH-1W SuperCobra and AH-1Z Viper, depending upon the mission. The M260 and M261 are used with the Mk 66 series of rocket motor, which replaced the Mk 40 series. The Mk 66 has a reduced system weight and provides a remote fuze setting interface. Hydra 70s have also been fired from UH-60 and AH-6 series aircraft in US Army service.
The AH-1G Cobra and the UH-1B "Huey" used a variety of launchers including the M158 seven-tube and M200 19-tube rocket launchers designed for the Mk 40 rocket motor; however, these models have been replaced by upgraded variants in the U.S. Marine Corps because they were not compatible with the Mk 66 rocket motor. The Hydra 70 rocket system is also used by the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Air Force.
| Designation | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| M260 | 7-Tube LWL (LightWeight Launcher, 35 lbs, 15.9kg) | |
| M261 | 19-Tube LWL (LightWeight Launcher, 80 lbs/ 36.3kg) | |
| LAU-130/A | 19-Tube rocket launcher | |
| LAU-131/A | 7-Tube rocket launcher | |
| LAU-68D/A | 7-Tube LAU-68C/A variant; compatible w/ Mk 66 rocket motor; external thermal protection coating; launcher supports single and ripple firing | |
| LAU-69D/A | 19-Tube LAU-61B/A variant; compatible w/ Mk 66 rocket motor; external thermal protection coating; launcher supports single and ripple firing |
In 2019, a 72-year-old Taiwanese man was killed after a discarded Hydra rocket which he had cut into with an electric saw exploded. He had believed it to be a length of pipe. The rocket had been caught in the net of a fishing vessel and then discarded by the crew ashore as scrap metal.[4]
Hydra 70 warheads fall into three categories:
| Designation | Description | Arming Range, Acceleration or Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M423 | Nose Mount, Point Detonating for slow speed platforms (helicopters) | 47yard102yard | |
| 2 | M427 | Nose Mount, Point Detonating for high speed platforms | 197yard466yard | |
| 3 | XM436 | Air burst, Motor-Burnout Delay | ||
| 4 | XM438/M438 | Nose Mount, Point Detonating | ||
| 5 | M440 | Point Detonating | ||
| 6 | Mk 352 Mod 0/1/2 | Point Detonating | ||
| 7 | M429 | Proximity Air burst | ||
| 8 | M433 | Nose Mount, Resistance Capacitance (RC) | SuperQuick (PD) 11yard49yard Delay in 5.5yard increments including 3.3yard Bunker penetrating option | |
| 9 | M439 | Base Mount, Resistance Capacitance (RC), Payload Discharging Pilot-Selectable | Discharges submunitions between 547yard7874yard (766to on AH-1s) 27Gs | |
| 10 | M442 | Air burst, Motor-Burnout Delay | Discharges Flare at 3281yard, 17-22 g required for arming | |
| 11 | M446 | Base Mount, Air burst, Motor-Burnout Delay | ||
| 12 | Model 113A | Base Mount, Air burst, Motor-Burnout Delay |
The most common warhead for the Hydra 70 rocket is the M151 "10-Pounder," which has a blast radius of 10 meters and lethal fragmentation radius of around 50 meters.[5]
| Designation | Description | Weight | Payload | Fuze Type | Fuzing options | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M151 | High explosive (HEDP) '10 pounder' | 8.7lb (w/o Fuze) | 2.3lb Comp B-4 HE | M423 | 1,2,5,7,8 | |
| M156 | White phosphorus munitions (WP) | 9.65lb | 2.2lb WP | M423 M429 | 1,2,6,7 | |
| M229 | High explosive (HEDP); elongated M151 '17 pounder' | 17lb (Fuzed) | 4.8lb Comp B-4 HE | M423 | 1,2,6,7 | |
| M247 | High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT)/high-explosive dual purpose (HEDP) | 8.8lb | 2lb Comp B HE | M438 PD | 4 (integral to warhead) | |
| M255 | APERS (anti-personnel) warhead | 2500 flechettes | 9 | |||
| M255E1/A1 | Flechette warhead | 14lb | 1179 flechettes | M439 | 9 | |
| M257 | Parachute illumination | 11lb | One M257 Candle (Flare) 1 million candela | M442 | 10 (integral to warhead) | |
| M259 | White phosphorus (WP) | 9 | ||||
| M261 | Multi-purpose submunition (MPSM) | 13.5lb | 9 M73 (Grenade) Submunitions | M439 with M84 electric detonator | 9 | |
| M264 | Red phosphorus (RP) Smoke | 8.6lb | 72 RP Pellets | M439 | 9 | |
| M267 | MPSM Practice | 13.5lb | Three Marking SMs, 6 Metal Weights | M439 with M84 electric detonator | 9 | |
| M274 | Practice (Smoke) | 9.3lb | of potassium perchlorate and aluminum powder | M423 | 1 | |
| M278 | Infra-red (IR) parachute illumination | 11lb | One M278 IR Flare | M442 | 10 (integral to warhead) | |
| M282 | Multipurpose penetrator warhead | 13.7lb | 0.98lb PBXN-110 | delayed | ||
| Mk 67 Mod 0 | White phosphorus (WP) | 1,2,6,7 | ||||
| Mk 67 Mod 1 | Red phosphorus (RP) | 1,2,6,7 | ||||
| WTU-1/B | Practice | 9.3lb | Inert | None | None | |
| WDU-4/A | APERS warhead | 9.3lb | 96 flechettes of unknown weight | 12 (integral to warhead) | ||
| WDU-4A/A | APERS warhead[6] | 9.3lb | 2205 flechettes | M405A2 | 12 (integral to warhead) |
There are several design efforts to turn the Hydra 70 rocket into a precision guided munition (PGM) to produce a weapon with greater accuracy but at less cost than other guided missiles. These include:
The APKWS was the first to be fielded in March 2012,[8] and the TALON entered full rate production for the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces in September 2014.[9]
The Turkish ROKETSAN Cirit is a similar missile compatible with 70 mm rocket launchers, but it was developed from scratch and doesn't use Hydra 70 components.[10]
Philippines − APKWS